Will Cincinnati finally get a new Western Hills Viaduct?

The Western Hills Viaduct in Cincinnati(Photo: The Enquirer/Cara Owsley)

Maybe – finally – there is about to be movement on the Western Hills Viaduct.

Ohio has a new governor who has made transportation infrastructure one of his top priorities.

And now, Hamilton County has a new coalition dedicated to finding a way to get the project done.

"It is undeniable that the Western Hills Viaduct is a top infrastructure priority for the region," states a press release from the coalition, which includes U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Westwood; Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune, a Democrat from Green Township; Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld, a Democrat from East Walnut Hills; and Hamilton County Engineer Ted Hubbard.

Officials have been talking about replacing the Western Hills Viaduct since 2009, but it shot to the top of the to-do list in 2017 after a chunk of concrete fell from the lower deck onto a truck. No one was injured, but the lower deck was closed while officials examined the damage.

Still, there hasn't been much apparent progress since July, when officials announced a $5 million grant from the feds to help pay for the project. (That may seem like big money, but the overall project is expected to cost about $355 million, including the cost to repair and maintain the current viaduct until the new one is in place.)

The release says the new coalition will focus on working with Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and the state legislature to pursue state funding.

There is also hope the new Democratic majority in the U.S. House of Representatives – coupled with President Donald Trump's focus on infrastructure projects across the country – may lead to an infrastructure bill that would benefit the viaduct, with the long-term goal being to replace it completely.

“We may affiliate with different political parties, but we all agree that the Western Hills Viaduct requires critical repairs and renovations," states a quote in the news release, attributed to the coalition as a whole. "We owe it to the community to place politics aside and come together to restore the gateway to the West Side.”